This invention relates to post surgical drain receptacle supports, and more particularly to drain receptacle supports to be worn about the abdomen, thorax, upper thigh or head.
Following certain types of surgery, especially surgery involving the removal of tissue, the resulting body cavity may fill with fluid. Examples of such surgery include mastectomies and lumpectomies with auxiliary nodal dissection involving removal of lymph nodes under the arm, various transplants and reconstruction. The removal of the large amount of tissue in such procedures creates a cavity, and as a result, the remaining lymph nodes secrete fluid which collects in the cavity. To relieve swelling and infection that may occur if the fluid is left in the body, a drainage tube is inserted through the surgical incision into the cavity. Such drain tubes typically have perforated ends through which fluid enters the tube from the cavity. Drainage of such fluid provides the further advantage of creating a negative pressure in the body cavity, thereby holding the skin against the muscle until it heals. When such operations require tissue removal from multiple sites, postoperative treatment will utilize multiple tubes and bottles, each associated with a separate incision.
The drainage tubes connect to receptacles, such as plastic bottles, for collecting the fluid. Depending on the surgery and the amount of fluid buildup expected, the number of drainage tubes and receptacles utilized can vary from as few as one to as many as four. In addition, the size and shape of the respective receptacles can also vary. For example, for some neck and head surgeries, larger drainage bottles, having flat front and back surfaces may be used; for certain facial surgeries a small, test tube like drain is used; for heart and thoracic surgeries a long drain valve with a receptacle is used; while for other surgeries the standard medium sized, rounded receptacles are satisfactory. Notwithstanding the shape, size and number of receptacles used, managing the tubes and monitoring fluid collection in their associated receptacles generally pose certain problems in that receptacles need to be supported in some way and that the tubes become entangled with the wearer, the wearer's clothes, etc.
In the past, it was common to pin or tape the receptacles to clothing worn by the patient or to the bandage or the incision itself. While not very comfortable, this procedure was somewhat effective in the hospital where an open gown was worn, thereby easing the ability of the patient to accommodate basic bodily function. Furthermore, the awkwardness and discomfort is increased with multiple sets of bottles and tubes. In addition, outside the hospital, where patients wear standard, relatively constricting clothes, it is not practicable to use such means to receive drain bottles. As mentioned above, other problems arise from the entanglement of the tubes themselves. For example, the drainage tubes are generally connected to the drainage bottles with an ample amount of "slack" so that they will be usable in varying application by patients of differing sizes and shapes. However, the extra length of the tubes can become easily entangled with the wearer, the wearer's clothing, etc., especially when several drainage bottles are being used. Thus, with the advent of insurance company mandates on shorter hospital stays for many types of surgeries, these types of problems have become more prevalent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,233 to Turner attempts to address some of these problems by providing a single large pouch to be worn on a belt which extends about the waist of a post operative patient to support a fluid drainage receptacle. The pouch of that device includes a pouch extension and an elongated loop of fabric which receives the belt and supports the pouch so that the pouch opening hangs down below the belt and deflects in an angular position when the lip of the pouch is pulled away from the wearer, thereby allowing easy access to the interior of the pouch.
While the Turner patent resolves some of the problems associated with prior art post operative drainage receptacle supports, it is not completely effective. For example, the Turner device cannot hold a number of drainage receptacles individually in separate, secured upright positions about a patient's body in locations which avoid tangling of the drainage bottles. Also, the Turner device is not compatible for use with the larger, flat sided receptacles or for the elongated drain valves with receptacles that are used after certain surgical procedures and does not address the problems associated with securing excess slack from long drainage tubes to avoid entanglements.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a lightweight support device for drainage receptacle to be worn by post operative patients which comfortably secures the drainage receptacle against a wearer, a support device which can be worn under clothing, a support device which facilitates draining of receptacles, a support device which prevents tube entanglements, a support device which holds the drain upright, a support device which may be used with receptacles of varying sizes and shapes, and a support device which can be positioned in a manner to avoid tangling and stress on the drain tubes.